Calico Ghost Town

Since we get MLK day off of work, we decided to go someplace fabulous. So, my parents and I took my 3 oldest nephews to Calico Ghost Town for the day. In the summer time, Calico, which is just outside of Barstow, feels like it's actually located on the sun, so this January day was just perfect for our adventure. It was a perfect place to take the boys because they had never been there before (Joey went when he was little, but doesn't remember it well) and it's a place where there's enough to do, but not so much that you have to run around trying to see everything. Also, it wasn't very crowded.

When I was a little girl, I would occasionally get to go on outings with my grandparents, sans my parents, and I remember thinking it was the coolest thing; I still remember those days fondly...even after all of these years. So, I think it's pretty cool that my parents got to give my nephews an experience like that too. Someday, maybe they'll be able to take my kids someplace special too!

Without further adieu, here are some pictures of the day:

Here are my nephews and my parents at the entrance of Calico. They boys were SO excited about the "wetters on the wocks!" as Cy called them. Everytime they came back into view while we drove, the boys would point them out. They're so sweet!

We went into this store and the boys each got to pick out a candy stick. My parents always used to buy those for us when we would go places like Old Town, San Diego, where they sold them. The boys loved them and I think they all actually finished them, rather than abandoning them after just a few licks.

We got to take the train around and they told us a little bit about the old mines that used to be in use at Calico. The boys thought it was cool that the train was bumpy like a real train : ) They laughed and held on tight when it would jolt forward.

This is the Maggie Mine and it...ummm...put the "ghost" in Ghost Town for sure. Call me crazy, but while we were in there, there were lots of uncomfortable spots and footsteps behind us when nobody was there. Calico is famous for its haunts and I guess it completed the experience to get to witness a couple firsthand. : )

While his big brothers were in the bathroom, Cy entertained himself by trying to stack all of these little pebbles. He would gather a pile and then stack them up. He got way into it and, at one point, sat flat on the ground in the dirt to get better leverage. He's so freakin' adorable!

Joey, Aaron, and Cy wanted to play on the stage, so we snapped a picture. After this, Cy ran around it in circles over and over again and then told me how it smelled like poo. Horse poo, to be exact. lol

I just had to include this one; I love my dad! He cracks me up! : )

They had some tables with checker boards painted on them and my dad played with the boys.

This house made out of glass bottles was super cool!

This is one of the last shots of the day. We had a great time and definitely slept well that night after all of that walking! Phew!